《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit 8 只因为一个微笑

　　Unit 08
Just a Little Smile
Mike was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a tape recorder. Mike knelt¹ down and helped the boy pick up the scattered² articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden³.
As they walked, Mike discovered the boy's name was James, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at James' home first, and Mike was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mike went home.
They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.
Finally the long awaited⁴ senior⁵ year came and three weeks before graduation, James asked Mike if they could talk.
James reminded him of the day years ago when they first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things?" asked James. "You see, I cleaned out my locker⁶ because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills. I was going home to commit⁷ suicide⁸. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others might follow. So you see, Mike, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more for me. You saved my life."

1 knelt   

v.跪( kneel的过去式和过去分词 )；(kneel的过去式与过去分词)

参考例句：

• They knelt down and prayed. 他们跪下来祷告。
• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。

2 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

3 burden   

n.负担，重载，担子，责任；vt.装货于，麻烦，使负担

参考例句：

• The burden fell on the eldest son.担子落在了长子身上。
• Too much praise is a burden.太多的赞扬是一种负担。

4 awaited   

v.等候( await的过去式和过去分词 )；等待；期待；将发生在

参考例句：

• A stack of files awaited me on my desk. 我桌上有一堆文件正待我去处理。
• her long-awaited new novel 她的令人期待已久的一部新小说

5 senior   

adj.年长的；资格较老的，地位较高的；n.年长者，前辈；大学高年级学生

参考例句：

• My brother is senior to me by two years.我哥哥比我年长两岁。
• They are senior students.他们是高年级学生。

6 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

7 commit   

vt.把…交托给，提交；犯，干；使承担义务，使作出保证

参考例句：

• He couldn't commit himself on any issue.他不愿在任何问题上表态。
• A thinking person must commit himself to working for peace.一个有头脑的人必须致力于为和平而工作。

8 suicide   

n.自杀，自毁，自杀性行为

参考例句：

• The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
• The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。